384 Hickling . — The Anatomy of Palaeostachya vera. 
neither of these features belongs to Weiss’s original conception. The latter 
arose as an error of observation, the former was an assumption to satisfy 
a theory. Our own specimen and Weiss’s type of Palaeostachya elongata 
seem to agree in all points of generic importance observable in both, and 
therefore I see no reason why they should not share the same genus until 
some vital distinction can be proved. 
Solms Laubach 1 has placed Renault’s Volkmannia gracilis in this 
genus, and it undoubtedly has (approximately) two bracts to each sporan- 
giophore, but I do not think that reference makes that character an 
essential feature of the genus. Weiss’s ‘genera’ can only be regarded as 
types, not as genera in the true sense. It will be rather surprising if all 
Calamitean cones with axillary sporangiophores are ultimately found to 
come within the limits of a single biological genus. 
At least, so long as Weiss’s classification is adopted there can be no 
doubt that this cone must be placed in his genus Palaeostachya , which he 
makes for cones with sporangia attached in fours to peltate sporangiophores 
which arise in or near the axils of the bracts. The course of the sporan- 
giophore-traces may be added as a further generic character. Finally, it is 
of interest to note that Weiss himself suggests that both Cingularia and 
Palaeostachya arose from Calamostachys, by the movement of the sporan- 
giophores upward in the former, downward in the latter case. 
Summary. 
Palaeostachya vera is a Calamarian fructification characterized by 
axillary sporangiophores. 
Cones cylindrical, pedunculate. Diameter about 14 mm., length un- 
known. 
Axis with external diameter of 4 mm., the vascular cylinder being about 
27 mm. Primary vascular bundles generally eighteen, in pairs, probably 
not alternating at nodes, each with a protoxylem (carinal) canal on inner 
side, which is obliterated at the nodes. Secondary wood present at nodes 
only. Bract traces leaving bundles nearly at right angles, not divided. 
Sporangiophore-traces arising immediately above bract-traces, passing 
outwards very obliquely through the secondary wood of the parent-bundle, 
ascending in contact with bundle through half-internode, then redescending 
obliquely to enter the base of the sporangiophore. 
Cortex mainly parenchymatous, with a sclerized ring above each node 
(the f disc ’) perforated by nine unsclerized patches (the ‘ disc-canals ’). 
Bracts approximately equal in number to the sporangiophores 
(generally eighteen), with a single bundle, sclerized ventral and paren- 
chymatous dorsal portion. Lanceolate. Free. Sporangiophores peltate, 
1 Solms Laubach, ’ 91 , p. 332. 
